Matthew Lanham
Lacy School of Business
Butler University
“Nobody deserves this award more than Professor Lanham. I have never had a professor like him before. He is kind and caring, fun and enthusiastic. You can tell when he teaches that he just wants to make us all better individuals, inside and outside of the classroom.
“He is starting something really special here at Butler, and he has a vision beyond anything that this school has seen in the past. Perhaps my favorite thing about Professor Lanham is his humility. He’s not in it for the awards or the recognition; all he wants to do is help his students become better people. His actions reflect those of Jesus Christ, which, in my opinion, is his most admirable trait. Butler University is insanely blessed to have a professor as good as Professor Lanham.” – Max Sanders
Matthew Lanham, 43, is Assistant Professor of Business Technology and Analytics at Butler University’s Lacy School of Business.
In 2025 he received the inaugural INFORMS Data Mining Society Teaching Award recognizing innovation in data science education. That same year, he was named an INFORMS Senior Member and Co-Chaired the Meeting of Analytics Program Directors.
While at Purdue University, he earned the Salgo-Noren Outstanding Master’s Teaching Award (2024) and led the M.S. in Business Analytics & Information Management program to win the 2023 UPS George D. Smith Prize, honoring the world’s top analytics preparation program.
A two-time recipient of Purdue’s Transformative Impact Award, Lanham also serves on the INFORMS Analytics Certification Board, SAS Faculty Advisory Board, and Midwest Decision Sciences Institute.
His research explores predictive-prescriptive integration and Data-for-Good initiatives, which he brings directly into his predictive and prescriptive analytics courses through team competitions and applied research.
BACKGROUND
At current institution since what year? 2025
Education: Ph.D. in Business Information Technology, Virginia Tech; M.S. Statistics, Virginia Tech; M.S. Biostatistics-Decision Science, University of Louisville; B.A. Economics, Indiana University-Bloomington
List of Undergraduate courses you teach: Predictive Analytics, Prescriptive Analytics
TELL US ABOUT LIFE AS A BUSINESS SCHOOL PROFESSOR
I knew I wanted to be a business school professor when … I first taught Introduction to Management Science at Virginia Tech as a Ph.D. student. At first, I thought I was simply sharpening my modeling skills, but standing in front of that class changed everything. Watching students light up when complex ideas clicked, and seeing how faculty used research to solve real business problems, showed me that this work could blend rigor, impact, and mentorship in a way few careers can. That’s when I realized I didn’t just want to model decisions, I wanted to help shape the people who make them.
What are you currently researching and what is the most significant discovery you’ve made from it? My current research explores how experiential learning and analytics competitions can ensure equitable, outcomes-based success for all students—not just those at the top of the bell curve. I founded and lead the National Data4Good Analytics Competition, which engages students worldwide in solving social-impact cases while completing professional milestones such as Microsoft’s AI-900 certification and INFORMS Analytics Framework training. The most significant insight from this work is that when competitions are embedded directly into coursework, and not offered as optional extras, they can guarantee that every student gains tangible evidence of competence, confidence, and calling. This approach reflects a philosophy of stewardship: designing analytics education that multiplies opportunity, elevates collective success, and honors the responsibility we have to develop every student’s potential.
If I weren’t a business school professor, I’d be … a pastor. As a follower of Jesus, I hold deep respect for those called to ministry, even though that isn’t my own calling today. Benjamin Franklin once wrote that he would attend Pastor George Whitefield’s sermons, not because he shared Whitefield’s faith, but because he was profoundly affected by his conviction and sincerity. Franklin admitted he could not listen without being stirred by the power of the message. That authenticity moves me too. The Word has a power that transforms hearts and minds, and that same pursuit of authenticity guides how I teach and lead—seeking to connect truthfully, serve faithfully, and steward the trust my students place in me.
What do you think makes you stand out as a professor? A zeal for outcomes. I care deeply that every student leaves my course with tangible evidence of growth—certifications earned, projects delivered, and confidence gained. Grades matter less to me than transformation. My approach is to coach, not just to teach, and to measure success by the lives my students change afterward.
One word that describes my first time teaching: Thankful. Standing in front of that first class, I realized what a privilege it is to shape minds and futures. I was grateful not just to teach, but to be trusted with something that mattered.
Here’s what I wish someone would’ve told me about being a business school professor: I wish someone had told me that this calling demands both time and discernment. You have to stay at the forefront of an ever-changing technological world while guiding others to make thoughtful, balanced decisions. It’s a form of service that requires more hours than most imagine, and if that doesn’t align with your values or your family’s, the strain will show. But when it does, when purpose and calling meet, it becomes an act of stewardship, investing your time and talents to multiply the good you can do through others.
Professor I most admire and why: Dr. Cliff Ragsdale, Professor Emeritus at Virginia Tech. He’s been a faithful teacher, mentor, and colleague to so many—and I wouldn’t be a business analytics professor today without his influence. His Spreadsheet Modeling & Decision Analysis text has shaped generations of students in how analytics can support better decision-making, but his greatest lesson to me wasn’t in that book. It was in how he lived his life. Definitely my favorite teacher.
TEACHING BUSINESS SCHOOL STUDENTS
What do you enjoy most about teaching business students? What I enjoy most about teaching business students is their entrepreneurial energy and curiosity about technology. At Butler’s Lacy School of Business, our Real Business Experience program shapes every student to think like an owner and problem-solver. They’re hands-on doers, eager to test ideas and take risks, and I find myself learning from them as much as they learn from me. Someday one of them might even convince me to leave the classroom and help run a business together.
What is most challenging? The most challenging part is seeing some students hesitate to embrace the technologies that will define their future. The business world is evolving faster than ever, and those who understand data and AI will lead that change. I often tell students that analytics isn’t just a major, it’s a mindset. My hope is that every Lacy School of Business graduate leaves Butler technologically fluent and ready to shape the systems, not just work within them.
In one word, describe your favorite type of student: Passionate.
In one word, describe your least favorite type of student: Entitled.
When it comes to grading, I think students would describe me as … focused on outcomes. If every student in my class earned an A but also left with a professional certification, a research poster, and real evidence of mastery, would that make me an easy grader or an effective one? As Stephen Covey reminds us, we should ‘begin with the end in mind.’ My goal is to coach students toward meaningful outcomes, not just measure them by points on a curve.
LIFE OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM
What are your hobbies? I teach Sunday School to four- and five-year-olds at my local church—that’s actually my favorite class! I also love bothering former college students. I’m always sending them texts and LinkedIn messages to check in or celebrate their milestones. I’m sure some of them wish I’d finally go away, but I can’t help cheering them on. I really love them.
How will you spend your summer? I’ll spend most of the summer working on research projects and developing new materials for my courses. I genuinely enjoy the quiet time to think, write, and build. Summer is when many of my ideas for competitions and classroom innovations take shape.
Favorite place(s) to vacation: Walt Disney World. It’s the one place where data and magic coexist, and where I get to be a kid again with my family.
Favorite book(s): The Gospel of John. Its message of truth, grace, and love has shaped how I see people and purpose, both in life and in the classroom.
What is currently your favorite movie and/or show and what is it about the film or program that you enjoy so much? Hoosiers is my favorite movie. Gene Hackman will always be my coach. The film reminds me that greatness isn’t about talent or flash—it’s about discipline, teamwork, and heart. Lines like ‘My team is on the floor,’ ‘I don’t care what the scoreboard says—in my book we’re gonna be winners,’ and ‘I love you guys…TEAM!’ still get me every time. There’s a lot of wisdom in that story about perseverance, humility, and redemption.
What is your favorite type of music or artist(s) and why? I’m mostly a K-Love guy. But my favorite artist is my seven-year-old daughter, Stella. I hear her singing in her room while I’m working in my office, and nothing fills my soul more than her sweet voice. She reminds me daily why joy and gratitude matter more than noise or perfection.
THOUGHTS AND REFLECTIONS
If I had my way, the business school of the future would have much more of this … If I had my way, the business school of the future would celebrate stewardship as much as scholarship. We’d take time to reflect on what we have, how we serve, and how we can work better together for the good of our students. Faculty who disagree would still embrace and affirm one another publicly, because most problems in academia are really problems of the heart. If we got that part right, there would be no limit to what we could accomplish for our students.
In my opinion, companies and organizations today need to do a better job at … Loving their local communities. Too many organizations measure success only by scale and profit, forgetting that real impact begins close to home. When companies invest in the people and places around them, they build trust, loyalty, and purpose that no quarterly report can capture.
I’m grateful for … Jesus. When I accepted that He is who He says He is, His Spirit changed everything about how I live and lead. I knew my old life was over and that transformation had begun, even if I didn’t yet understand all that it would mean.
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